


Varric's Gotta Crush

by snowstormdaydreams



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cole always needs a hug, Cole just wants his parents to be happy, Cute, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Human Cole (Dragon Age), Parental Varric Tethras, Soft Inquisitor, Team as Family, Varric can't handle a crush, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22392577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowstormdaydreams/pseuds/snowstormdaydreams
Summary: Varric has a crush on the Inquisitor.  Cole just wants him to tell her so his parents can be happy.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Varric Tethras, Female Lavellan/Varric Tethras
Comments: 6
Kudos: 87





	Varric's Gotta Crush

It was after Cole joined them that Varric began to notice how his gaze lingered too long as Kalia walked by and the way he felt her smiles and frowns deep in his chest, even when they weren’t aimed at him. He ignored it, shoving it to the back of his mind, writing it on pages that were burned in fires before the ink was even dry, and snapping at Cole if he even tried to root around in the feelings. He always inevitably felt bad about the snapping, as Cole had become half his responsibility, and half Kalia’s, as if they shared custody of him, and he never failed to notice how seriously Kalia took that responsibility.

When he would leave his place in the main hall to have a stroll, whenever she was around, he would spot her talking to one person or another, all people under her command, but all people she spoke to as if they were friends. One day he was mulling in his usual spot when Cole appeared, looking a little more relaxed than usual. “She’s with the children.”

He was gone before Varric could question him, but he headed to the wing that housed all the orphaned children, and sure enough, seated in the middle of the pack was Kalia. She was holding a baby in each arm, while other children pressed against her, wearing the softest smile he’d ever seen, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

It didn’t take her long to realize she was being watched, and when her eyes caught on him, she flushed. “Varric! What are you doing here?”

He broke out of his haze, grinning broadly at some of the little ones who had gravitated towards him. “Cole said you were here. I figured I could come tell stories or something,” he covered any uncertainty with bravado, relieved when her face lit up.

“Would you? They need to be getting to bed anyways, we just finished dinner. You can tell them a bedtime story!” 

One of the little ones in her arms twisted his fists in her shirt, and she bounced him slightly. “Of course.”

A nurse came to take the babies from her to allow her to stand up. “If everyone gets ready for bed fast enough, Master Tethras has a bedtime story for you!” She put her hands on her hips and watched as all those old enough to understand scrambled to get washed up, while the younger ones were aided by the eldest and the nurses. 

Varric watched as Kalia helped them get ready. When everyone was all set, they sat around the chair he sat in, and he began his story. It was hard not to get distracted by Kalia sitting in the background, rocking one of the babies to sleep. She would split her attention between him and the baby before standing and placing the baby in his crib, and focusing all her attention on Varric. If she noticed he faltered in his storytelling, her face didn’t give her away.

When his story was over, the room was filled with the groans of the children who had stayed awake to hear the end, grumbling about going to bed. Varric walked to the door, ready to leave when Kalia’s voice stopped him. “I’ll walk back with you, just give me a few minutes.”

He waited by the door and watched as each of the children were personally tucked in and kissed on the forehead by the blessed Herald of Andraste, the Inquisitor, the woman in charge of saving the world. When she was done, she lowered the lamp, whispered a final goodnight to the nurses, and approached him at the door. “Ok, I’m all set,” she smiled softly as they slipped out. Their walk to the main hall was quiet, and he was trying to think of words to describe the last few hours, but his writer’s brain was failing him.

As they entered the hall, she frowned. “Oh no! I think I’m late for meeting in the War Room! I’ll come see you after!” She ran off, leaving him staring after her feeling warm all over. Having a feeling someone was watching him, his eyes drifted over the hall until they came to his usual spot. When he saw who stood there, all the warmth was quickly chased off. Bianca.

  
  


He had walked away from Bianca, unable to look at her any longer, but hadn’t made it far when he heard Bianca say something to Kalia. “Get him killed, and I’ll feed you your own eyeballs Inquisitor,” her voice was menacing, low enough that he was sure he hadn’t been meant to hear it.

He paused, half expecting Kalia to say something biting back, her time at the Winter Palace had proven her words were as deadly as her magic, but there was only silence. He wanted to see the look on her face, but didn’t dare turn around to look, hurrying out of the chamber and out of the way. Watching Bianca storm away, he thought about how even just a few months ago, he might have chased after her. Now the very thought of it made his head hurt.

Kalia found him hidden in the shadows a few minutes later. “Varric, are you alright?” She put her hand on his arm, eyes warm as they studied his face.

He nodded. “I’m fine. We should head back though,” he stepped away from her touch, missing it as soon as he had.

She followed him out quietly, where they met Blackwall and Iron Bull. Varric was suddenly overwhelmingly thankful Cole had not come along on the trip, even though he had wanted to. He avoided Kalia until they’d gotten back to Skyhold, and it was several days until she came to talk to him.

She looked tired and reserved in a way he hadn’t seen before, and he was angry that while he snapped at her, all she did was reassure him, and almost angry she didn’t tell him what Bianca had said to her. 

“Do you think you’ll see Bianca again?” Her voice was soft, eyebrows knit together as she stared down at her hands to avoid looking at him.

The question surprised him, eyes shooting to her face as he struggled to think of an answer. “I… don’t know. I don’t think I want to though.”

She looked sad to hear it. “I’m sorry.”

He took her hand, squeezing it gently and trying not to notice the way her face flushed. “I’m not. But… thank you for helping me back there.”

“I… You’re welcome,” she seemed poised to say something else but she seemed to realize they were standing in the main hall in view of everyone. “I promised the kids I’d go read to them before bed, but I’ll see you later, right?”

He was about to smile and reassure her that of course she’d see him, but he changed his mind. “Do you mind if I come with you? Maybe I could tell them a story instead.”

The way her face lit up was more than worth the offer and the ensuing two hours of children clinging to him. By the time he ended up back in his quarters that night, there was a persistent buzz at the back of his skull, something he was not used to. Humming as he lit the candles, he wasn’t even surprised to find Cole was waiting there.

“The words are stuck in her throat.”

“Who are we talking about kid?”

“Kalia.”

Varric’s ears perked up at that. “Kalia?”

“You love her. Love, burning brightly like the pages burned in the fire.”

“I…” Any denials died on his tongue. 

“A writer’s brain but no words. No words to describe her, I’ve never met anyone who exists so outside the words I put them in,” Cole rambled.

“Thanks kid,” Varric felt a little hoarse. “What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Tell her. She’ll be so happy!” He looked delighted at the notion of making Kalia happy.

“Kalia and I are good friends. I doubt she’ll be happy to know I went and screwed that up.”

“She’ll be happy!” Cole insisted.

Varric shook his head. “I don’t think so. Good night Cole,” his voice left no room for argument, and the spirit disappeared in a gust of cool air, frowning so hard Varric felt a little bad for not just agreeing to his plan.

The first time Varric kissed her was a few days after they returned from helping Cole. It was no secret that the two had been taking care of him, but when Kalia had agreed with Varric to allow Cole to become more human? He had already been made fully aware he was in love with her, but in that moment, he was practically bursting with it. Any of Solas’s arguments were silenced with a harsh glare from Kalia, and they had returned to Skyhold with a very achy, but slightly more human Cole. 

He and Kalia spent days with Cole as he tried to adjust, Kalia offering unlimited hugs and kisses, while Varric spent lots of time attempting to teach Cole cards, and going on walks. The point was to just stay with him, and they did. Kalia had him setup in her room until he felt like going back to his spot above the tavern, and as soon as he did, she was fretting.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?” She was sitting on the couch, wringing her hands together.

Varric settled next to her. “If you smother him with anymore love, he’ll grow sick of you.”

She looked worried. “Do you think? I just wanted…”

He nudged her with his elbow. “No. I was kidding. The kid will be fine. It’s good he has great parents like us though, right?”

“Yeah. I think we do make good parents,” her words were murmured, a far off look in her eye.

He bumped her again. “What are you thinking about?”

The flush that passed over her face was bright and immediate, and she had no way of hiding it. “I… think it was really nice you showed Cole how to put the honey in Leliana’s wine. He was worried about it.”

“He can still disappear so the kid can do it better than I can, but he just has to be quick,” he was quiet for several beats. “I… wanted to thank you for listening to me the other day. I know you and Solas know more about spirits…”

She cut him off. “But you know more about Cole,” her voice was firm.

She looked so sure of herself, defending her decision to back him, even as he would have understood if she hadn’t, and that love he’d felt nearly bursting before bubbled up again and threatened to overflow. So he kissed her. It wasn’t the most graceful first kiss and to his surprise, her fingers curled in the front of his tunic and attempted to pull him closer.

She wouldn’t have been able to, because she may have been a few inches taller, but he was stronger, but he shifted to his knees anyways, bringing them closer together. When he finally pulled away, she was drawing in a deep breath, and it took her several beats before she opened her eyes.

She smiled as she opened them, arms winding around his neck. “I thought you were never going to do that!” 

Her voice had a slightly accusing tone to it, taking him by surprise and he burst out laughing. “Oh really?” He raised a brow at her.

She tried to move closer, but they were as close as their current position allowed. “Since Haven. Maybe even since you told me to run away. I must not be very good at bedroom eyes,” she pouted exaggeratedly.

She felt his grin as he kissed her again and he was still smiling when he pulled away again. “This looks good on you,” her words were murmured in the inches between them.

His eyebrow quirked up. “What?”

“Smiling. You don’t smile, really smile, all that much.”

“I don’t seem to have to fake an awful lot of smiles around you.”

“I’m glad, ” she glanced out the doors to the balcony, fidgeting with his collar. “Maybe we should go check on Cole.”

He chuckled. “It’s been less than two hours.”

“True…”

He kissed her cheek. “We can go check on him.”

She jumped up from her spot. “Oh thank the Creators. I was starting to get worried.”

He shook his head as he followed her, feeling his chest swell when she held her hand out to him. She didn’t seem to notice the stares as they walked to the Herald’s Rest and up to Cole’s spot on the third floor. When he spotted them, his eyes lit up. “You told her,” he sounded so happy.

Kalia glanced at Varric. “What?”

Varric sighed. “The kid wanted me to say something months ago.”

She went to kiss Cole’s cheeks. “You’re so sweet. How are you feeling?”

“It’s loud, you make it softer,” he smiled.

She hugged him. “You can stay with me again, if you’d like.”

Cole looked confused. “But Varric wants to stay with you.”

Varric could feel his face heat. “Kid…” 

Kalia waved him off. “You could both stay with me.”

Cole’s face lit up. “We can all stay together!”

She kissed his cheek. “Of course. You can come by whenever you want to.”

“Now I think,” he was gone with just a slight breeze, leaving a slightly amused Kalia with her arm around air.

She shook her head, turning to find Varric just staring at her a little dazedly. “Varric?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but found he wasn’t sure what to say. Cole had been right, he never really had the right words for her. “I… you don’t have to let me stay in your quarters. Cole would be just as happy if it was just you like it has been.”

“And I would be slightly happier if you stayed with me too. I’m offering you a place to sleep, nothing else.” She smirked, tapping her chin. “For tonight at least.”

He closed his eyes, trying not to think too hard about that. “Right… right. And now I have to try to think of something that is not that before we go back to Cole.”

She frowned. “Oh… I didn’t think of that! I’m sorry! I’ll stop flirting with you, I promise.”

It suddenly became impossible not to tell her how he felt. “I love you,” he blurted the words out.

She stared at him. “Really?”

He wanted to take it back, bluster like he was used to and tell a tale, but he couldn’t this time. “I… yes. I know I’m much too old for you, and you deserve better… but there it is.” He waited for the rejection to come, or the offer for a casual arrangement, or something, the sounds of the tavern below them too loud as he looked anywhere but at her.

“I love you too. Almost as long as I’ve wanted to kiss you probably.”

His eyes shot to her face, the soft smile there fond and a little exasperated. “Since Haven?”

“I may have exaggerated a little bit... It was more like when I saw you shoot a demon the first time. That’s the first time I wanted to kiss you.”

He stared at her a moment before chuckling. “So within a minute of meeting me?”

She flushed. “It was a good look for you. I probably knew I had it bad when you told me to run away.”

He took her hand and tugged her towards him. “I’m glad you ignored my advice.”

She beamed down at him. “Me too.”


End file.
